CORNER OFFICE: JILLY STEPHENS; Rah-Rah Isn't for Everyone

BY ADAM BRYANT

Published: April 11, 2010

Q. Do you remember the first time you were somebody's boss?

A. I was working for a big international charity. I was in Romania and was leading a team of international surgeons and nurses and engineers, and we were transitioning the leadership role to me at that time. The person I was taking over for turned to
me and said, ''So, what would you do in this situation?'' I remember saying, ''Well, I think we need to get some more information and we need to talk to these people.''

That was the lesson very early on. You may have a hunch about what's going on. But you really have to talk to people and find out. And often your hunch is wrong.

Q. Other lessons?

A. I remember the first time I was responsible for implementing the results of a strategic plan, and was faced with the inevitable resistance from people who didn't like the new direction.

Q. What was the context?

A. It was this medical charity. It's an aircraft that's converted to house an operating room, and you fly into developing countries to do surgery to restore sight. The strategic shift was recognizing that we're never going to end global
blindness like this. We need to go deeper into the communities.

That was very threatening to people at the organization who existed just to move this plane from country to country. I just realized that, well, they had their opportunity to get on board and we've done everything we can to help them get on board.

Q.What was the lesson from that?

A. You're not always going to bring people along. It's important to give them a moment to sort of realize what's coming, and encourage them to get on board. But the organization really has to come first.

Q.Talk more about how your leadership style evolved.

A. I was always comfortable. I think it goes back to taking over the leadership position in this nonprofit, Orbis International, where at a fairly young age I was charged with running an airline and a hospital, really on my own.

Q. How old were you?

A. I was 28 or 29. It was a lot of responsibility and I guess it was a sort of a sink-or-swim moment. I just had to lead that group, and it was complicated by the fact it was multinational, so at its peak I think I was dealing with 11 or 12 nationalities.
It was constantly focusing on teamwork.

Q. So how did you do it?

A. We were just rigorous about routine and, in some ways, not that flexible, so people knew what the ground rules were.

One example was that the team had to be in the lobby at the hotel, ready to go to work, at whatever the designated time. If they weren't there, the bus leaves. You get to the airport yourself. If we were in Tunisia, that meant finding a bike and
cycling across the desert to get to the airport.

We saw behaviors change fairly rapidly. So we had a fairly tight routine, and we made announcements every morning. It was just important to let everybody know what was coming.

Q. It's a pretty young age to have that kind of responsibility. Where did you learn to handle that?

A. I've had a fairly strong work ethic from a very young age. I had my first job at 12 and have worked consistently since then.

Q. Was there a job you had as a teenager that prepared you the best for leadership?

A. At 17, I worked as a horseback-riding instructor -- taking groups of people, often with children, out onto beaches, onto highways. We had to pay careful attention to make sure everybody knew what they had to be doing and were doing it the right way.

Q.How do you hire? What questions do you ask people?

A. I'm looking for people who can express concisely what it is that appeals to them about the job they're interviewing for. That's always quite an interesting opening question, and I'm always surprised at the number of people who can
still be answering it 15 minutes later.

I'm looking for people who are passionate about whatever job it is that they're applying for here at City Harvest, and that they're passionate about our mission: to help feed hungry New Yorkers.

Q. What's it like to work with you day to day? Do you do a lot of all-hands meetings?

A. I'm more low-key. I do walk around. I'm introverted by nature, so I'm not somebody who holds sort of big rah-rah meetings. I love the idea of having a big bell outside my office that we can ring when we get a big donation, but it's
just not me.

Q.A lot of managers are introverted, yet they're expected to be extroverted in leadership roles. What's your advice for them?

A. Find what fits for you. My predecessor here ran fantastic all-staff meetings every month. What works for me are these small group things.

Q.What's your best advice to people who are becoming managers for the first time?

A. It's important that you communicate clearly with people who are going to be reporting to you, that you be as open as possible about who you are, what they should know about you, what they should understand about you, and how you like to operate.
I even said to people that I've been told that I look angry a lot of the time, and I'm usually not. It's just my face, so just don't be put off by that.

Again, just be very clear about what you expect of the people who are going to be reporting to you. Meet with them regularly. Help keep them on track. Understand what it is they need to succeed. That's it.

Q.What is your best career advice to somebody who's just getting out of college?

A. Take a gap year. It's invaluable to get out there and experience the world, because you've got a lifetime of work ahead of you. I just think to draw on that year of spending time outside of your immediate world is a good thing to do.

PHOTO: Jilly Stephens is executive director of City Harvest, a nonprofit group in New York that distributes food through community programs. Her low-key style, she says, makes her prefer small-group meetings to big, all-staff gatherings. (PHOTOGRAPH BY
RUBY WASHINGTON/THE NEW YORK TIMES)